Prior to the background of the invention being set forth, it may be helpful to set forth definitions of certain terms that will be used hereinafter.
The term ‘Virtual Reality’ (VR) as used herein is defined as a computer-simulated environment that can simulate physical presence in places in the real world or imagined worlds. Virtual reality could recreate sensory experiences, including virtual taste, sight, smell, sound, touch, and the like. Many traditional VR systems use a near eye display for presenting a 3D virtual environment.
The term ‘Augmented Reality’ (AR) as used herein is defined as a live direct or indirect view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented (or supplemented) by computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, graphics or GPS data. It is related to a more general concept called mediated reality, in which a view of reality is modified (possibly even diminished rather than augmented), by a computer.
The term ‘near eye display’ as used herein is defined as a device which includes wearable projected displays, usually stereoscopic in the sense that each eye is presented with a slightly different field of view so as to create the 3D perception.
The term ‘virtual reality headset’ sometimes called ‘goggles’, is a wrap-around visual interface to display computer output. Commonly the computer display information is presented as a three-dimensional representation of real-world environments. The goggles may or may not include optics beyond the mere structure for holding the computer display (possibly in a form of a smartphone).
FIG. 1 shows a traditional VR system according to the prior art in which user 10 wears a head mounted stereoscopic display 12 (e.g., Oculus Rift™) which projects a synthetic image 16 of a scene onto each eye of user 10. Usually in VR, each eye receives the synthetic image 16 at a slightly different angle so as to create a 3D perception in the brain of the user (for the sake of simplicity, the stereoscopic pair is not shown). Additionally, head mounted display 12 may be provided with sensors such as accelerometers or gyros (not shown) that may detect in real time the viewing angle or gaze direction of the user. As a result, the VR system may adjust image 16 to fit the new head orientation of the user. As this adjustment is carried out in real time, an illusion of the virtual reality imitating the head movements in the real world may be achieved.
Beyond tracking the view point of the user as explained above, VR systems provide a further interaction with the virtual world via input devices such as joystick 14 (or mouse, touchpad, or even a keyboard). Such an input device may enable user 10 to perform various actions. For example a cursor 18 indicated on image 16 over the VR scene may be controlled by user 10 via joystick 14. Naturally, the use of such traditional input devices undermines the overall VR user experience. In addition, the use of a cursor 18 limits the user experience to standard computer-user interface known from personal computers.